Cigarette container



Jail. 4, 1927. 1,613,173

I i I R. KIMBALL CIGARETTE CONTAINER Filed July 28, 1925 INVENTOR Rit'ckie. Jfz'mall L IATTORNEY'S 7 WW W Patented Jan. 4,1927.

UNITED STATES 1,613,173 PATENT OFFICE.

RITCHIE KIMBALL, OF NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT.

CIGARETTE CONTAINER.

Application filed July 28, 1925. Serial No. 46,518.

The packaging of cigarettes in paper containers as distinguished from stiff cardboard boxes is rapidly increasing. Such a package offers many advantages to the user and is preferred by the manufacturer, but it has these disadvantages:

Lacking stiffness, it becomes crushed and crumpled and the cigarettes are injured, constant use results in undue pressure directly on the cigarettes, thereby forcing a substantial amount of tobacco from their paper wrappers, particularly at the ends, the withdrawal of several cigarettes often leaves the remaining cigarettes relatively inaccessible, so that some difficulty is found in withdrawing them and, lastly, when once opened they may not thereafter conveniently be closed, so that both tobacco and sometimes cigarettes, escape from the package into the users pocket. Other points will appear as this description proceeds but those noted are perhaps most commonly observed.

The present invention relates to a cigarette packa e composed of paper wrappings of any of the types ordinarily employed and it has for its principal object to incorporate directly within such a package suitable means for eliminating all of the disadvantages incident thereto without modifying or disturbing in any way the packages now employed and without adding any substantial expense thereto. In its simplest form, the device consists in a strip of relatively stiff material, such as cardboard, extending around the cigarettes within the paper wrapping and of a width substantially equal to the thickness of the package. Such a strip has the merit of inexpensiveness and simplicity. Having once been cut to a length sufiicient to encircle all of the cigarettes and, perhaps, leave a tongue, it may be readily bent at proper intervals to conform to. the shape of the package and assembled therein without additional labor or particular care or skill. In the preferred embodiment, the strip is placed with one end adjacent to the ends of the cigarettes to be exposed, while the other free end is formed as .a tongue .to be nested alongside of the first named end, thereby constituting a convenient closure for the package, even after the outer paper wrapper has been torn away in the manner to which users are accustomed.

Another object of the invention is to proride in a device of the character described, means to facilitate the withdrawal of the Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a cigarette container embodying the improve.

ments, part of the paper being torn away, as is done in use, to show the stiffening strip.

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section through the container shown in Figure'l and taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the container shown in Figure 1, with the free end of the strip withdrawn partially to expose the cigarette.

Figure, 4. is a sectional view through the container shown in Figure 1 and somewhat schematic, illustrating the way in which cigarettes maybe drawn to the opening in a container as their number decreases.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the s iffening strip alone.

It is not intended that the present improvements should change the manner of packaging cigarettes in paper containers, nor increase the cost thereof appreciably.

In fact, it is believed that the combination of a form of redetermined shape and size may actually facilitate the packaging.

As shown in Figure 5, there is provided a stiff strip a of material, such as cardboard, bent to the size and form of the container into which the cigarettes are to be placed. Ordinarily, this strip would be made up by cutting a piece of cardboard to length and bending it at four points to form an opensided rectangular liner. One end a of the strip may be formed as a tongue and tapered. if desired, to facilitate introduction into a slot a cut adjacent to the other end ofthe strip. The length of the liner thus formed is substantially that'of the cigarettes to be placed therein, its width such as to receive snugly a pre-determined number of cigarettes in arow, and its thickness such as to receive a pre-determined number of rows of cigarettes. When the cigarettes are thus placed within the liner, the usual packaging operations may go forward, the

outside covering of paper 6 being the only one illustrated in the accompanying drawing. It will be evident that the disposition of the strip a is such as to stiffen the entire package and hold the cigarettes against dislodgment. When the package is to be used, a portion of the wrapper is torn away by the user in the accustomed manner, thereby exposing the free end of the strip a, which may be readily thrown back to permit the withdrawal of a cigarette. Where a tongue a is employed, as shown, this tongue may be more conveniently withdrawn by providing a finger pull or, which is presented when the paper wrapper is first torn away. After a cigarette has been withdrawn, the tongue will be reinserted, although it is not important that a slot abe provided, nor that the tongue be slipped down between the paper wrapper and the cardboard strip, rather than between the cardboard strip and the cigarettes. matter of habit with the particular user.

'Since cigarettes are usually packed very snugly, some difficulty is often encountered in withdrawing the first one. For the convenience of the user, the present invention affords a most convenient means for meeting this difiiculty. A finger pull a may be formedin one end of the cardboard strip a, this finger pull being exposed to view when the tongue a, that is, the other end of the cardboard strip is thrown back, as shown in F1 ure 3. By grasping the finger pull a an pulling the strip slightly upwards, it will be evident by reference to Figures 2 and 3 articularly that the first row of cigarettes will be elevated above the torn edge of the paper wrapping, thereby permitting them to be rasped more readily by the fingers and wit idrawn. Similarly, as the cigarettes are used, the remaining cigarettes which are in line with the untorn top of the paper wrapper, may be readily drawn towards the opening to facilitate their \vitlulrmval by pulling the other end of the strip partially from the ackage, as shown in Figure 4, thereby tiltin the cigarettes towards the opening.

lhe importance of the addition to the This will doubtless become a package of the stiffening strip should now e apparent. It confines the cigarettes definitely within certain limits. It prevents undue crumpling or crushing of the container as a whole. It protects the cigarettes against constant pressure and dislodgment, such as would ordinarily force the tobacco therefrom, or change their shape. It facilitates their withdrawal both from the package initially opened and after a substantial number of cigarettes have been withdrawn. It provides a closure which prevents the cigarettes and, to amost substantial extent, the tobacco from escaping into the pocket.

It is obvious that no limitation is to be imposed on the material, form or dimensions of the stiffening strip and it is also evident that such means may be incorporated in other containers than those intended to receive cigarettes with all of the attendant advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A paper cigarette container having a stiffening strip of cardboard equal in width to the thickness of the package and extending around the cigarettes, the free end of the liner being formed as a tongue adapted to be withdrawn when part of the wrapper is torn away and adapted to be reinserted as a closure when the container is not in use, and a finger pulLto facilitate withdrawal of the tongue.

2. In a cigarette container, a stiffening strip of a width equal to the thickness of the container extending from an upper side edge, down the side and around the inner perimeter and across the top edge to the end of the strip and means whereby the portion of the strip along the first named side may be lifted to enable the cigarettes to be easily grasped and the portion of the strip along the top edge may be pulled in the direction of the first named side to position the contents of the container in proximity to such side.

This s ccification signed this 6th dav of July A. l 1925..

RITCHIE KIMBALI... 

